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Thunder 500 cocks but won't fire

Last night all the sudden it wouldn't fire after I had the dog all lined up ready to go. So I walked out there and turned it on , cocked it and it seemed to work just fine. Then I walked back to dog, tried to fire, and it wouldn't go. I tried and tried and at last it shoots, but then I try again and same thing...it will cock/rotate but won't shoot reliably.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

It is only a couple weeks old. This happened after I had moved and set it up in a new spot.

Usually I test it out before I get dog out, but I was shooting over a water canal so I skipped this step on account of not being able to retrieve them myself.

I still have plenty of gas, batteries are pretty new but I have not checked them. I have used it less than 10 times on one dog since I got it two weeks ago.

Does turn a bit and gas flow with 1st press of transmitter?
Does turn more and gas stop with 2nd press of transmitter?
Do you hear a click sound as the wheel rotates with the 2nd press?
Are the batteries fresh?
Are the batteries taped into place with black electrical tape (the battery configuration allows the batteries to vibrate loose)?

WARNING: If you rotate the thing by hand it will fire whether or not the guarded switch is on or off.

Does turn a bit and gas flow with 1st press of transmitter?
Does turn more and gas stop with 2nd press of transmitter?
Do you hear a click sound as the wheel rotates with the 2nd press?
Are the batteries fresh?
Are the batteries taped into place with black electrical tape (the battery configuration allows the batteries to vibrate loose)?

WARNING: If you rotate the thing by hand it will fire whether or not the guarded switch is on or off.

Thanks:

Batteries were new when I installed them two weeks ago, secured with tape or rubberband...I have not opened her up to check if all is well there, yet, but I will do so shortly.

I can't remember for sure but I think it rotates on first press of button, then when I press again second time it would make a noise and rotate some more but bumper is not launched.

My yard is too small to experiment, I will take notes when I go out later today.

Edit: oh, and I heard the gas flowing on first press, but on second press I'm not sure what happened as I was too far away.

Hah yeah I did that...my ears! All the dogs in the neighborhood are now barking!

So it goes boom, I remember seeing the flames yesterday as it was trying to shoot from the slot from which the bumpers had already been launched.

So it appears that the gas and the ignition are working and the motor is not turning (completely) the carrier.

I'd start by turning the gas valve off and removing all bumpers.
Turn main switch on.
Press your transmitter button and note the direction of rotation (Its good to mark this on the unit for future reference).
Press transmitter button a second time.
Turn main switch off.
Rotate the carrier by hand in the diretion of rotation (1/2 to 1 turn is enough). Carrier should rotate without binding.
Press transmitter button once - should get 1/2 hole of rotation.
Press transmitter button again - should get a little longer rotation and a click of the igniter.

Thank you, Glen. If it is a battery issue the smoking gun is likely my transmitter so I got that recharging now. It didn't occur to me that a low battery in the transmitter could be the problem, I thought it would either transmit a signal, or not. The receiver is charged, and voltmeter measures >1.6 V for each of the batteries in the Thunder, which are securely rubber-banded together.

The directions say not to leave it cocked long, which had happened on the first non-launch, but then it never recovered. It was also very very warm. Strange that it would be working ok, and then all the sudden not.

Mine did something like that and it ended up being the reciever was weak evn tho I had charged it I thought. it would launh if I walked up to it but not at 100 yrds. I put a different reciever on it and it worked fine.